Courtship of Ages Past: Ducky and Paro
by Sleeping-force's-inside
Summary: Fourth Installment of the series. How do Swimmers court, and how did Paro win Ducky? R & E & R Epilogue online!
1. Prologue

**Category:**** Land before Time**

**Rating:**** T **

**Couples in Series:**** Littlefoot/Ali, Cera/OC, Ducky/OC, Petri/OC, Spike/OC**

**Couples in this installment:**** Ducky/OC**

**Warnings:**** AU**

**Chapter:**** Prologue**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"It's strange really…" Cera mused. "I mean, overall the ways we court are quite the same: the males have to impress the females. All that despite the fact that we are completely different."

"You think Sharpteeth are the same?" Ducky wondered, splashing in the water with her tail absentmindedly. The small waves lapped at the shore.

"Might be." Littlefoot said. "In the end Chomper was just like us, only eating meat instead of leaves."

"It's strange to think about…" Rana tilted her head in thought. "No offense, but Sharpteeth always were monsters and suddenly they are just like us?"

"Aside from their diet." Petrie added. "Believe me: our grown-ups had quite the problem with that too."

"Particularly my father." Cera rolled her eyes and sighed. "Remember how he told Chomper he would fall apart?"

"He was so upset about that." Ducky agreed.

"And then Petrie forgot he was terrified of the Sky Puffies to save Chomper's tooth." Littlefoot chuckled. "Dove straight through them."

"You are afraid of Sky Puffies?" Rana demanded incredulously.

"I Was." Petrie quickly corrected. "I got over it quite a while ago."

"When he saved that tooth." Littlefoot pointed out.

Petrie glared at him, a move that was more hilarious than threatening since Littlefoot could easily step on him and not even notice if that happened.

"Well, it hardly matters now, does it?" Paro answered.

"Besides, didn't we come here to hear the Swimmer's tale?" Trike supported him. "Personally I am very curious as to how they do it, since they don't have any things to do."

"Excuse me?" Ducky demanded. The call of her crest sounded in the cool air, echoing back from the surrounding trees.

"You make music?" Tega dryly asked.

The characteristic sound of the call sounded again: 'Yep, yep, yep'…


	2. Chapter 1

**Category:**** Land before Time**

**Rating:**** T **

**Couples in Series:**** Littlefoot/Ali, Cera/OC, Ducky/OC, Petri/OC, Spike/OC**

**Couples in this installment:**** Ducky/OC**

**Warnings:**** AU**

**Chapter:**** 1**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The journey was boring, that much was certain. At least, Ducky thought so as they trudged through a forest to reach their Courtship-spot. Sure, the surrounding areas were interesting, but after the 302th tree even that got boring. She shook her head, sighing in exasperation.

"Are you alright?" Her mother came to walk beside her, ducking under a low-hanging branch as she did so.

"It's a bit boring." Ducky admitted, looking around. "And strange to not have Spike with us."

"True." Her mother, Olophia, agreed. "But I don't think he would find anyone at the Swimmer-courtship, or what don't you agree?"

Both chuckled at the thought. Spike had grown these last few Cold Times and had reached the size of a grown-up recently, making him one of those dinosaurs that are ridiculously easy to pick from amongst the Swimmers he still called family.

"Somehow I doubt he'll find anyone at the Spiketail-Courtship either." Ducky's crest-call bounced back from several trees. "He's still more interested in peace and dinner." She nodded along with the statement, missing the branch on collision-course with her sensitive crest. "Autsch…" She muttered, rubbing the dark-green length.

"Careful there, you are no longer small enough to pass under everything anymore." Olophia rubbed the crest gently. "Can't have you break it, after al."

"That would hurt…" Ducky muttered, dropping her arms down again. "Considering a bump feels like a Longneck stepped on my head."

"That too." The older female agreed. "Not to mention you most likely wouldn't survive if that happened."

"Way to make us happy, mom!" One of Ducky's brothers called, snorting as he did so.

His mother just rolled her eyes, snorting herself. "You just concentrate on practicing your song, young man, otherwise there's no way you'll ever get happy."

He frowned, growling something under his breath, quite displeased that his mother had reminded him that his musical skills were not exactly at 'get a girl'-levels so callously. His brother's just patted him on the back in comfort, while his sisters giggled at his predicament.

The old female took the lead of the herd again, leading them down a rocky path left by Fast Waters long ago. Massive boulders lay strewn on the ground, carried by the water which had rushed down this particular hillside long ago.

Stones rolled down beneath their feet, bouncing the entire way.

Suddenly their mother froze, raising herself on her hind-legs to full standing-height. The rest stopped immediately, several brothers mirroring her while peering through the thick foliage.

There were many calls that could be made with a Swimmer's crest, each sounding different according to the form of the crest in question. But there was one call that sounded the same across all the different Swimmer-kinds: Sharpteeth.

The small herd worth of Swimmers ran down the hillside, Ducky now clearly being able to see the forms running alongside of them. She counted at least two of them, blurred by the trees and just waiting for one of them to fall behind.

The way their mother lead them turned into the forest where the great Sharpteeth would have trouble maneuvering. Sadly, the many trees now in their way forced the herd to scatter, weaving through the brown giants rising into the sky.

Ducky missed being small: when she could just have hidden in the small spaces between the roots of the trees and waited the attack out.

She risked a glance over her shoulder, noting with horror that the two Sharpteeth were hot on their heels. The next thing she realized was that her foot got stuck behind a root. Just a little less than two and a half tons of Swimmer tumbled to the ground, pain shooting through her side as she slapped against the solid trunk of one of the many trees.

She gasped in pain, struggling to get back to her feet. She didn't know if her family had even noticed she had fallen behind quite literally, but right now all that mattered was to get away.

But the dark-green Swimmer froze in horror when she saw that there were _three _Sharpteeth, one of which already moving past her to cut off the path to her family. The other two were on something that could only be called a 'killing-course' with her.

She managed to get up just in time to avoid the jaws of the smaller individual, only to nearly run in the larger one. She wheeled around just in time, avoiding them by the width of a breath. She could feel the teeth scrape across her skin!

The one that had cut her off attacked her, jaws snapping closed dangerously close to her face. The small one used her distraction, ramming her into the ground.

"Ducky!" The voice of one of her sisters echoed from lower on the hill, but there was nothing she could do to save her sibling.


	3. Chapter 2

**Category:**** Land before Time**

**Rating:**** T **

**Couples in Series:**** Littlefoot/Ali, Cera/OC, Ducky/OC, Petri/OC, Spike/OC**

**Couples in this installment:**** Ducky/OC**

**Warnings:**** AU**

**Chapter:**** 2**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Ducky?" The smallest Sharptooth echoed, coming to a screeching halt. Then he quickly snarled and growled something to the other two.

"Chomper?" The Swimmer realized.

"Jup!" He grinned at her, by now towering over her. "Sorry about that chase, didn't recognize you."

"Well, I didn't recognize you either!" Ducky hugged him. "You've grown!"

"Sure have." He posed lightly. "You remember my parents?" He gestured to the other two Sharpteeth.

"Yep." She looked at them, smiling briefly.

"Ducky?" Her mother called, slowly walking back.

"It's Chomper, mom!" The young Swimmer answered her, pointing at the Sharptooth beside her.

"Oh my, you've grown!" Olophia greeted Chomper just as warmly, while staying out of range of his parents.

"Thank you, miss." Chomper answered. "Sorry about hunting you, we were a bit hungry. Not that we'll eat you!" He quickly added. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

As he remained talking with the Swimmers his parents left, no doubt searching for another food-source.

"We're on our way to our Courtship-place." Ducky told him. "You?"

"Uh… living?" Chomper said. "Sharptooth-life, you know. But you gotta tell me: how is everyone?"

The herd moved down the original path again, this time a Sharptooth among them. Unlike most Dinosaurs in the Valley, Ducky's family had had hardly any problems with Chomper when he arrived in their valley, send by his parents to keep him save from Red Claw.

"Well, everyone's still alive." Ducky told him. "The others are on their way to their Courtship-grounds too, so soon everyone will no longer be single."

"You hope." Chomper pointed out.

"Well, considering what we have been told by our grown-ups the only one who might have some trouble is Spike, on account of still preferring to eat then do anything else." Ducky punctuated the sentence by her three crest-calls, surprising her friend a bit.

"Still the same?" Chomper chuckled after a quick explanation about her habit of crest-calling instead of 'yep, yep, yep'ing.

"We all are, just bigger." Ducky stated. "Cera has her horns, Spike his plates and well… spikes. Oh, and Mr. Threehorn we have secretly dubbed Mr. Broken-Horn, but don't tell him."

"Oh, what happened?" Chomper asked.

"A Fast Biter wanted to kill Tricia." Ducky told him. "But he drove him off. He rammed his head, with said Fast Biter on it, against a rock so hard his horn broke off."

"I didn't even know that was possible." Chomper's eyes, as red and deadly as those of his parents, widened.

"We didn't either." Olophia said from his other side. "And what about you, Chomper? How have you been all these Cold Times?"

"Like a Sharptooth?" He answered her awkwardly. "Learning how to hunt and the like…" He trailed off.

"And what about Ruby?" Ducky quickly asked, realizing that her friend found his time with his parents, at least in the company of his Flattooth-friends, a very uncomfortable subject.

"She lives with her family again." Chomper smiled. "I still visit her, but I have to be careful; Red Claw is still prowling around."

"He is?" Ducky's mother demanded, shocked.

"Not here." The Sharptooth was quick to reassure her. "Even he won't fight three Sharptooth over a territory: this is… these are my parents' lands. But didn't you encounter him when leaving the Valley?"

"No, no one has seen him in Cold Times." Ducky shook her head. "He just up and vanished from around the Valley."

"Huh, that's weird." He muttered. "Well, makes the world safer for you guys, right?"

"Unless we run into you…" One of Ducky's sisters joked.

"I already apologized, didn't I?" Chomper sighed. "I probably should be glad I didn't run into Cera and her family, that'd have been terrible to get out of."


	4. Chapter 3

**Category:**** Land before Time**

**Rating:**** T **

**Couples in Series:**** Littlefoot/Ali, Cera/OC, Ducky/OC, Petri/OC, Spike/OC**

**Couples in this installment:**** Ducky/OC**

**Warnings:**** AU**

**Chapter:**** 3**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Chomper escorted them safely through his parents' domain, leading them to the border they had been heading for anyway.

"Do come by for a visit." He called, waving as the small herd of Swimmers was on their way once more.

"We will." Ducky promised, making up the rear of her family as she kept waving until she could no longer make out his form among the trees.

"I didn't think we'd see him again." One of her sisters mused as they maneuvered through the trees.

"Neither did I." Their mother agreed. "But stranger things have happened, have they not?"

"Like a Spike-tail becoming a member of a Swimmer-family?" Her oldest son asked sweetly.

"As if you minded." Ducky countered, poking him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

If they were worried about how close Chomper's family hunted to their Courting-grounds, the Swimmer-family did not show it. The field was bordered by a wide Fast Water, the clear liquid cascading down the rocks forming the riverbed.

They were among the first to arrive, the field being mostly empty.

"Well, with Chomper showing us a short-cut we got here faster than I thought we would." Olophia said.

"Does that mean we can catch up on sleep?" The group scattered.

Ducky moved into the low waters, drinking of the fresh liquid. It was cold, coming fresh from the mountains. A small shiver ran down her spine as she moved deeper, her eyes scanning the surface for indications of Belly Dragger who might try and attack her.

She turned back to her family when hearing the abominable song of her brother.

"He needs some practice." She wheeled around, nearly slipping on the loose stones beneath her feet.

A male Swimmer looked in concern as she regained her balance. "Whoops, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Then cough next time." Ducky suggested. "But yes, my brother needs some practice… and a miracle."

"I didn't want to say it." He smiled at her. "I am Paro, you?"

"Ducky." She returned the smile. "You're here early too, aren't you?"

"Oh, I am one of the resident herd." He pointed to the opposite side of Ducky's family. "We stay on that side of the river because of some Sharpteeth."

Ducky blinked, stopping herself barely from telling him that she knew these Sharpteeth in person and was friends with one of them. "Must be handy to live directly at the Courting-grounds."

"You would be surprised how much it is not." He chuckled. "There is always a terrible mess when all the other dinosaurs have left. And we're left to deal with it."

"That might be less good, yes." Ducky chuckled too. "But I always enjoyed the Far-walkers coming to my place, surely you do too?"

"You're stationary too?" He asked. "Yes, there is something nice about having new faces come along, but still. Just wait until Courting is finished. You won't believe your eyes."

"I am certain I have seen worse." She countered.

"Wanna bet on it?" He challenged.

"A branch of Treesweets." She agreed, grinning at him.

"Deal."


	5. Chapter 4

**Category:**** Land before Time**

**Rating:**** T **

**Couples in Series:**** Littlefoot/Ali, Cera/OC, Ducky/OC, Petri/OC, Spike/OC**

**Couples in this installment:**** Ducky/OC**

**Warnings:**** AU**

**Chapter:**** 4**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

All Swimmers had dozens of hatchlings over their lives, their main defense against the Meateaters being numbers unlike the Threehorns with their horns and the Longnecks with their sheer sizes. That of course meant that when all Swimmers gathered somewhere, you would soon start talking about herds covering entire valleys from the bottom to the very top.

The Swimmers that long ago declared this valley to be the courting-grounds had certainly taking those numbers into account when doing so, but Ducky still found the thing to start becoming dangerously overfilled as the Courting-day approached. It seemed Paro would win that branch of Treesweets, because she was quite certain she'd never see the like of this again in her life.

His smug grin told her he knew that too.

Her mother reminded her that nothing could top the group she and her friends had and still do form. Now Ducky had a smug grin whenever she saw him, much to his consternation.

She had a feeling he wouldn't let her win so easily.

They became slightly competitive over time, challenging one another to different things each day. They were quite evenly matched, until one day shortly before their Courting-day.

Paro had suggested a simple day of talking over some greens, instead of yet another argument about who was better. Ducky had agreed, joining him higher on some hill where there were some good-tasting Tree-stars, as he had assured her.

"I still think you are far too confident over our bet." Paro couldn't help but state as they munched on the green food,

"I think you underestimate me." She countered, grinning widely. "Just ask my family: I have something that will top anything you can come up with a dozen times."

"They're biased." He pointed out, frowning just a little bit. He looked kinda cute like that.

"Perhaps, but I still think my thing is better than yours." Ducky chuckled.

"What is it then?" He demanded.

"That would be telling, now wouldn't it?" She grinned.

"If I don't know what it is, how can we ever decide who won?" He asked sweetly.

"Oh, as if you didn't think of the answer the entire time." Ducky countered, pushing him lightly.

"And as if you mind." He defended himself.

"I never said I did." She shrugged, turning back to return to her family at the Fast Water. "But that is the solution to our problems."

"Not if we'd decide to stay here." He joined her, walking close at her side.

"I will not leave my friends." Came her abrupt answer. "Nor would I leave my family."

Both fell silent for a short while after that outburst.

"Are they that important to you?" He whispered, looking at her questioningly.

"A friend of mine turned down a chance to live with his long-lost father because that would mean leaving us." The female Swimmer answered. "Another defied his very nature for the sake of being with us. Each of would give their lives for the others."

She saw realization dawn on his face. "Are your friends that which I will never be able to top?"

She nodded.


	6. Chapter 5

**Category:**** Land before Time**

**Rating:**** T **

**Couples in Series:**** Littlefoot/Ali, Cera/OC, Ducky/OC, Petri/OC, Spike/OC**

**Couples in this installment:**** Ducky/OC**

**Warnings:**** AU**

**Chapter:**** 5**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A Swimmer's song was the most haunting thing you could ever hear. The music that filled the glade was unlike anything ever to be heard on Earth itself. To describe it was to take part of its' beauty and do it a severe injustice.

Mates, prospective or already found, sung together, weaving their calls into a duet that traveled up to the Sky Puffies, entwining together like two creeping vines. Occasionally a duet was interrupted by a challenger for either gender, turning into a vocal battle as to who was superior.

Ducky and Paro had no such interruptions, because neither were good enough singers to be that interesting to most of the other bachelors on the field. That, or the fact that they had secluded themselves a bit, putting some distance between themselves and the rest of the Swimmers.

The night grew silent, the echoes faded.

Neither of them returned to their families that night, spending it high up on the mountain, talking about unimportant things as the Night Circle made its' way across the vast expanse of the skies.

They hadn't talked about who would live with who again, but both knew that by tomorrow they would have to; Ducky's family would leave as soon as they had had breakfast. Paro left once Ducky had gone to sleep, sneaking towards his own family.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

He wouldn't tell Ducky where he had been, or what he had discussed with his father that night. He joined her family, he and two others replacing six of her sisters who had chosen to go with their own mates. They left the way they had come, silently hoping they wouldn't run into Chomper and his parents again as they crossed the Sharptooth-territory.

They had no luck, in a way. Perfect in the middle of the forest they encountered a massive blue-grey Sharptooth.

"Chomper." Ducky grinned. "I'm passing through again."

"I hope you don't make that count as 'visiting again'?" He chuckled, ignoring the Swimmers that were new to the group and were terrified of him. "That would be very unfair."

"Says the one who KNEW where we live and never shows his face anymore." Ducky's mother pointed out, lightly glaring at him. "And if you don't mind, we have to go before the new ones start fleeing in a blind panic because of you."

"Oh, very nice." Chomper rolled his eyes. "Hey, don't I know him from somewhere?" He pointed at Ducky's mate.

"He's my mate, he's off-limits." She moved in between, frowning.

"Just wondering." The Sharptooth ducked lightly under her gaze, a move useless since he was still much bigger than the Swimmers. "Lived down in the Valley?"

"Yes." Ducky nodded. "Bye, Chomper."

"Bye." He grinned. "I'll see if I can convince my parents to let me visit you guys soon."

"Do that, I'd hate to have to start arguing with them." Ducky joked, accepting his hug without fear.

The group continued on, Paro staring at his new mate. Yes, she definitely won the bet.


	7. Epilogue

**Category:**** Land before Time**

**Rating:**** T **

**Couples in Series:**** Littlefoot/Ali, Cera/OC, Ducky/OC, Petri/OC, Spike/OC**

**Couples in this installment:**** Ducky/OC**

**Warnings:**** AU**

**Chapter:**** Epilogue**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"See?" Petrie told his mate as Ducky finished her story. "Chomper is real!"

"And huge…" Paro added. "I swear I nearly had a heart-attack when Ducky hugged him." He shuddered at the memory.

"Oh really now…" She rolled her eyes. "Imagine how I felt when he and his parents chased me!"

"Are they still as big as they were when we last saw them?" Littlefoot asked, thinking back to their stay on the island Chomper and his family had lived on.

"Oh yes, definitely." Ducky nodded. "With still as many teeth too." She grinned at another shudder of her mate. "Oh, it's not like you will ever meet them."

"No offense, but while I do look forward to perhaps seeing Chomper again, I can do without meeting his parents again." Cera shook her head.

"Says the one who hugged one of them." Littlefoot said with an innocent smile. "Did you ever tell your father about that?"

Cera spluttered at that, her eyes widening marginally. "No and neither will any of you!"

Her friends laughed at her face, their mates only chuckling.

Many of the adventures that had happened had yet to be told about and more often than not the five were left in the dark about inside jokes.


End file.
